This is a main-course salad built around grilled chicken, fluffy quinoa, and a basil pesto dressing thinned to a pourable consistency. It holds up well, travels without falling apart, and keeps you full โ which is the honest reason to make it instead of a lighter green salad. At 864 calories per serving with 1.25 lbs of chicken across four portions, this is a proper meal, not a starter.
Before you start
Two things determine whether this salad actually works. First, your quinoa needs to be dry before it hits the bowl. After cooking, spread it on a sheet pan or wide plate and let it cool uncovered for at least 10 minutes. Wet, steaming quinoa wilts the arugula on contact and makes the dressing pool at the bottom instead of clinging. Second, the pesto dressing needs to be seasoned and tasted before you assemble โ once itโs on the salad, correcting it is nearly impossible. Blend it, drizzle in the cold water gradually, then taste it on a single arugula leaf. It should be bright and a little salty; quinoa and chicken both absorb flavor aggressively and will dull a dressing that tastes just right off the spoon.
Common problems and fixes
- Chicken turns out dry: Chicken breasts vary a lot in thickness. If yours are uneven, pound them to a roughly uniform thickness before marinating so they cook at the same rate. Pull them off the grill at 160ยฐF โ carryover heat will bring them to 165ยฐF during the rest.
- Pesto dressing separates or looks greasy: Add the olive oil slowly while the blender is running, not all at once. If itโs already broken, add a teaspoon of cold water and blend again briefly โ it usually comes back together.
- Avocado turns brown before serving: Dice it last, right before assembly, and toss the pieces immediately in the tablespoon of lemon juice from the dressing recipe before adding them to the bowl. This buys you 30โ40 minutes of good color.
- Pine nuts burn during toasting: Use a dry skillet over medium-low heat, not medium-high. They go from pale to burnt in under a minute once they start to color โ stay at the pan and shake it constantly.
- Salad tastes flat despite the pesto: Quinoa and chicken are both mild. A pinch of flaky salt scattered over the finished bowl just before serving makes a noticeable difference โ dress it at the table, too, rather than tossing everything in advance, because a pre-dressed salad goes limp fast.
Keeping it fresh
Store the components separately if youโre making this ahead. Cooked quinoa keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container. Grilled chicken, sliced or whole, keeps for 3 days. The pesto dressing lasts 3 days refrigerated โ press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to slow oxidation. Keep the arugula, tomatoes, and cucumber dry and separate; once dressed, they deteriorate within a couple of hours. Avocado should always be cut fresh. When youโre ready to eat, let the quinoa and chicken come to room temperature for about 15 minutes, then assemble and dress individual portions rather than the whole batch. A fully assembled, dressed salad left in the fridge overnight is edible but noticeably softer โ the arugula loses its bite and the quinoa absorbs most of the dressing.
Quinoa and Grilled Chicken Salad with Pesto Dressing
Equipment
- Outdoor grill or grill pan
- Medium saucepan with lid
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Small skillet
- Blender or Food Processor
- Large mixing bowl
- Tongs
- Instant-read thermometer
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Marinade:
- 1.25 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 medium, patted dry
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest finely grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt
- 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Quinoa:
- 1 cup white quinoa rinsed well
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt
For the Toasted Pine Nuts:
- 0.25 cup pine nuts for pesto, toasted
- 2 tbsp pine nuts for garnish, toasted
For the Pesto Dressing:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
- 1 clove garlic small, smashed
- 0.33 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp cold water as needed to thin
- 0.25 tsp kosher salt
- 0.125 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Salad Assembly:
- 4 cups baby arugula or baby spinach
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup Persian cucumber diced small
- 1 large avocado ripe, diced
- 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese shaved, for garnish
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken (15 minutes):
- In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat thoroughly. Marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature while you start the quinoa; this jump-starts flavor without requiring a long wait.
Cook the Quinoa (20 minutes):
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water for 30โ60 seconds to remove bitterness.
- Combine quinoa, broth (or water), and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and spread on a tray to steam off excess moisture while you continue.
Toast the Pine Nuts (2โ3 minutes):
- Warm a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp pine nuts and toast, shaking often, until golden and fragrant, 2โ3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a cool plate to prevent scorching; reserve 1/4 cup for the pesto and 2 tbsp for garnish.
Grill the Chicken (10โ12 minutes):
- Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high (about 400ยฐF / 205ยฐC) and oil the grates. Grill chicken 5โ6 minutes per side, rotating once for crosshatch marks, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part registers 165ยฐF / 74ยฐC. Rest on a board for 5 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain.
Blend the Pesto Dressing (3โ5 minutes):
- In a blender or food processor, combine basil, 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Pulse to a coarse paste. With the motor running, stream in olive oil until smooth and glossy; then blend in just enough cold water (up to 3 tbsp) to achieve a pourable, salad-dressing consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assemble the Salad (5 minutes):
- In a large mixing bowl, add arugula, warm (slightly cooled) quinoa, tomatoes, and cucumber. Spoon in about half of the pesto dressing and toss until the leaves are lightly coated and shimmering.
- Gently fold in the avocado to avoid mashing.
- Plate the salad, fan the sliced chicken over the top, and finish with remaining toasted pine nuts and shaved Parmesan. Drizzle with additional dressing to taste and crack on a touch of black pepper.
Notes
Chefโs Tips:ย
- Quinoa Texture: If your quinoa tastes grassy, rinse it thoroughly; spreading it to steam-dry after cooking preserves a fluffy, distinct grain.
- Juicy Chicken: A brief 15-minute marinade seasons the surface while grill heat locks in moisture; resting after grilling allows juices to redistribute for cleaner slices.
- Pesto Balance: Add water in small splashes until the dressing ribbons off a spoon; if it turns too thick after chilling, loosen with a teaspoon of water and whisk until emulsified again.
- Make-Ahead: Cook quinoa and blend pesto up to 2 days ahead. Store separately, then toss with greens just before serving to keep leaves crisp.
- Dietary Swaps: For dairy-free, replace Parmesan with 2 tbsp nutritional yeast and a pinch of extra salt. For nut-free, use toasted pumpkin seeds in place of pine nuts.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use store-bought pesto instead of making it from scratch?
Yes, but thin it the same way the recipe describes โ store-bought pesto is thick and will clump on the quinoa rather than coat everything evenly. Start with about โ cup of jarred pesto and whisk in olive oil and cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until it pours like a loose vinaigrette. Taste and adjust salt, since jarred pesto varies widely.
Can I make this without a grill?
A cast-iron grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat works well and gives you char marks. A regular skillet also works โ you wonโt get grill marks, but the chicken will still be flavorful from the lemon-olive oil marinade. Make sure the pan is hot before the chicken goes in so it sears rather than steams.
Is this salad good for meal prep?
Itโs one of the better salads for meal prep, with one condition: keep the avocado and dressing separate until youโre ready to eat. Pack quinoa, chicken, tomatoes, and cucumber together, store arugula separately so it stays crisp, and add avocado and dressing at lunchtime. Assembled this way, it holds well for 3 days.
Can I substitute the chicken with something else?
Grilled shrimp works well and cooks faster โ about 2 minutes per side. Canned or jarred tuna in olive oil is a lower-effort option that pairs naturally with the pesto and lemon. If you want to keep it vegetarian, a can of drained white beans adds protein and bulk without changing the overall flavor profile much.